Rotary apparatus for longitudinally feeding a multifilament strand



Nov. 28, 1961 R. H. BRAUTIGAM 3,010,632

ROTARY APPARATUS FOR LONGITUDI LY FEEDING A MULTIFILAMENT STRA Filed Sept. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B W W 'QTTOPN E Y:

Nov. 28, 1961 R. H. BRAUTIGAM 3,010,632

ROTARY APPARATUS FOR LONGI'IfUDINALLY FEEDING A MULTIFILAMENT STRAND Filed Sept. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. R/cHA/w hf fi/mur/amv n'r onus va nited States Patent ROTARY APPARATUS FOR LONGITUDINALLY FEEDING A MULTIFILAMENT STRAND Richard H. Brautigam, Anderson, S.C., assignor to Owens- Cormng Frberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 14, 1955, Ser. No. 534,327 3 Claims. (Cl. 226-183) This invention relates to rotary apparatus for longitudinally feeding and/ or attenuating a continuous multifdarnent strand, for example a glass fiber strand.

Various attempts have been made to feed multifilament strands of continuous fibers by passing them through the hips of co-acting wheels or other rotary instrumentalities and imparting to the strand the high lineal speed which can be achieved by rotating a wheel at a relatively low speed. While certain types of co-acting wheels, the surfaces of which contact each other and between the bite of which a strand is led, have been successfully operated for attenuating strands at speeds up to, say, 10,000 feet per minute beyond such speed the centrifugal forces created are so great as to quickly destroy the wheels when their eripheries are made out of materials which can be compressed in the nips in order to securely grasp the strand.

Some devices have been developed for the feeding of individual monofilaments where the filaments can be snubbed tightly around or between tooth-like protuberances similar to interdigitated gear teeth. The devices which have been suggested, however, have not been successful for feeding multifilament strands. A glass fiber strand, for example, may have over 200 individual filaments and thus only the outer few of the filaments can be kept in contact with or between surfaces of the gear tooth pulling instrumentalities.

The co-acting type of pulling wheels wherein the peripheries are compressible and are squeezed together on opposite sides of and around the multifilarnent strand have successfully fed and attenuated multifilament strands at speeds in the order of 10,000 feet per minute. The compressive force between the co-acting peripheries in these cases exerts sufiicient compressive force on the strand so that the 200 or more filaments are carried along together without intra-strand slippage and, by various means embodied in the wheels or used in conjunction with them, the problems of strand slippage and wrap up or, licking have been overcome at these relatively slow speeds.

As mentioned, in order to further increase the lineal speed of the strand for higher production and feeding, some way must be provided which eliminates the requirement for the resilient peripheries of the pulling instrumentality or instrumentalities so as to enable the use of material which can withstand the high centrifugal force involved and which need not be flexed repeatedly since the repeated flexing creates heat and destroys the surface material of the resilient wheels.

The instant invention is based upon the discovery that a single rotary pulling wheel, having spaced peripheral elements may be employed for feeding or even for attenuating a multifilament continuous strand. Because the pulling wheel does not cooperate with and is not in surface contact with another wheel, it may be made out of inflexible material which can withstand the extremely high centrifugal force resulting from rotation at sufiicient speed to produce a lineal speed of feeding in the order of 14,000 or 15,000 feet per minute from a wheel of economical and practical size, say, from 12-16 inches in diameter. It has been discovered that sufficient adhesion between the strand and spaced peripheral forming elements of the pulling wheel can be produced, particularly by wetting the surfaces of the peripheral elements and the strand, to provide suflicient traction to attenuate the multifilament strand and to feed it. It has also been discovered that by moving other elements radially through the spaced peripheral elements of the pulling wheel into contact with the strand, the strand can be lifted oif or removed from the peripheral forming elements of the wheel at a desired location.

The elements which are moved radially through the spaces between the spaced peripheral elements of the pulling wheel may be moved radially outward through the spaces-to push the strand away from the spaced peripheral elements of the pulling wheel, or they may. be inserted radially inward into contact with thefstrand and then moved radially outward to pull the strand off the spaced peripheral elements of the pulling wheel.

A better understanding of the objects, advantages and operation of apparatus embodying the invention will be achieved from the following specification and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a rotary apparatus em bodying the invention as employed for the attenuation and feeding of a multifilament glass fiber strand.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, in particular illustrating strand removal.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary View in elevation taken from the position indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a pulling wheel embodying the invention but having proportions substantially difierent from those of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-4. 1

FIG. 6 is a view in elevation of a modified type of pulling wheel embodying the invention wherein the strand removal means is substantially different from the pulling wheel itself.

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation of the fulling wheel and strand removal means shown in FIG. 6 and taken from the right side of FIG. 6.

A multifilament glass fiber strand is commercially formed by attenuating a plurality of individual glass fibers 10 from individual streams of glass which fiow through minute orifices in the bottom of a glass melter or supply tank generally indicated at 11. The fibers 10 are associated together to form a strand 12 by being led over a suitably shaped guide 13 and the strand 12 is then led over an applicator generally indicated at 14 which transfers a controlled quantity of liquid to the strand 12.

The liquid applied to the strand 12 by the applicator 1 may be a size, an adhesive, a lubricant or any-liquid intended to make the strand compatible with materials with which it is later to be associated or it may simply be water. The purposes of the liquid, in addition to any subsequent purposes such as compatibility, adhesion, etc., include: first, to create intra-strand integrity and, second, to wet the strand and strand contacting portions of the rotary pulling apparatus embodying the invention. After leaving the applicator 14 the strand 12 is passed around an idler wheel 15 and guided into peripheral contact with a pulling wheel generally indicated at 16. The pulling wheel 16 is mounted upon a shaft 17 and rotated at high speed in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise) in FIG. 1. The peripheral portions of the pullingwheel 16in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 are a series of circumferentially spaced lugs 18. In the embodiment. of FIGS. 14 fifteen of'thelugs 18 are shown as being tending lips 19 and the shoulders of the lugs 18 are rounded as indicated'by the reference number 20. The

7 lug 18b.

surface of each of the lugs 18 between the lips 19 is arcuate, all of the surfaces of the lugs 18 being scribed around the center of the wheel 16 so as to form an interrupted cylindrical peripheral surface on the wheel 16.

The material from which the wheel 16 is fabricated and the liquid with which the strand 12 is coated must be such that the liquid applied to the strand 12 and carried to the surface of the lugs 18 will wet these surfaces. It should also be noted that the liquid may be applied directly to the lugs 18 rather than to the strand 12, for example,by misting or spraying the liquid onto the wheel 16 rather than by applying it to the strand 12 which carries it onto the lugs 18 of the wheel 16, as shown in FIG. 1.

Apparently the surface tension of the liquid wetting the peripheral surfaces of the lugs 18 and also the strand 12 7 gives the wheel16 ample tractive force to pull the strand 12 around the idler and to attenuate the 200 or more filaments 10 of which the strand 12 is comprised. It is also theorized thatthe inward tension on the strand 12 created by the belt effect of wrapping the strand 12 around the exterior of the wheel 16 provides tractive or attenuating force.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 a strand removal means 21 is mounted upon a rotary shaft 22 which is spaced from and parallel to the shaft 17. The strand removal means 21 is rotated in synchronisrn with the pulling wheel 16 and is identical with the pulling wheel 16 in all of its details. Like the pulling wheel 16 the strand removal means 21 has a pluralityof circumferentailly spaced, radially extending lugs 23, with grooved peripheral surfaces 24 of the same size, number and spacing as the pulling wheel 16. It is not necessary, however, that the strand removal wheel have the same number of lugs as the pulling wheel. It may be of smaller diameter with a smaller number or of larger diameter with a larger number. p

Referring particularly toFIG. ,2, the shafts 17 and 22 are so spaced from each otherthat .the lugs 18 and 23 are interdigitated without contact in the space between the pulling wheel 16 and the strand removal means21. Each of the lugs 23, for example the lug 23a, of the strand removal means 21 is inserted radially inward into the space between adjacent ones of the lugs 18, for example the lugs 18a and 18binFIG. 2, and into contactwith the strand 12;

The insertion of the lug'23a into the space between the lugs 18a and 18b laterally displaces the strand 12 and establishes tight contact between the peripheral surface 24 of the lug 23a and the strand 12.: 'As the pulling 'wheel 16 and strand removal means'21 continue to rotate,each of the strand removal lugs 23 is withdrawn outwardly from between an adjacent pair of the lugs 18 of the pullin indicatedby thereference number 25 that the strand 12 is adhering to the strand removal-lug 23b instead of being depressed between the successivepulling wheel lugs 18b and 180. Similarly, a crest, generally indicated by the reference number 26 in FIG. 2, has been formed by adnumber around the periphery of the pulling wheel 28.

. Like the lugs 18 of the wheel 16, the lugs 29 of the wheel strand (not shown).

28 pull, feed or attenuate a continuous multifilament The strand may be removed from the peripheral surfaces of the lugs v29 by a strand removal means identical to and interdigit-ated with the pulling lugs 29. None of this apparatus nor the strand itself is shown in FIG. 5 since the operation is identical with that of FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 5 is included only to show that the proportional width and length and the number of lugs on the pulling wheel is not at all critical to the invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a modification of the invention in which the movement of the strand removal means is radially outward between the spaced peripheral elements of the strand feeding or attenuating means. In FIG. 6 a feeding or attenuating wheel generally indicated at 30 is shown as having a plurality of spaced peripheral lugs 31 on one of its faces, the lugs 31 extending axially so as to provide interlug spaces 32 therebetween. The wheel 30 is mounted upon a shaft 33 and rotated thereby at high speed. A strand 34 is guided into peripheral contact with the lugs 31 by an idler wheel 35. [he lugs 31 are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 as being generally triangular in shape with their outer sides arcuate and forming an interrupted cylindrical periphery on the wheel 30 with which the strand 34 is engaged.

At a point some 200 or so degrees removed from the point of original engagement of the strand 34 with the lugs 31, there is mounted a spider whel generally indicated at 36 and, in this embodiment of the invention, shown as having four radial arms 37. The spider wheel 36 is mounted upon a'shaft 38 that is positioned eccentrically with respect to the'shaft 33 although parallel thereto. The spacing between the shafts 33 and 38 is determined by the length of the arms 37 of the spider wheel 36, the ends of which function as strand removal means. I

As can be seen at the right side of FIG. 6, an arm 37a of the spider wheel 36 protrudes through one of the spaces 32 between successive lugs 31:: and 31b of. the

hesion between the strand 12 and the peripheral surface a of the lug 180 on the pulling wheel 16. This same effect a can be seen at the place indicated by the reference number 27 where the strand 12 is adhering to the pulling wheel 7 It ,is this reversal, of phase of the strand which indicates thatthe lugs on thestrand removal means 21 actually pull the strand 12 oil the lugs 18 of the strandattenuatwheel 30. This lifts the strand 34 off of the lug 31b a distance sufiicient to break the adhesion of the strand 34 34 thus departs in a generally tangential direction from the wheel 30.

' The particular size, number, configuration, etc., of the lugs 31 and the spider wheel 36 and its arms 37 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 are not critical but are merely illustrative of the modification of the invention wherein the strand removal means has elements which move outwardly between the spaced peripheral elements of the strand feeding or attenuating wheel. The function of the arms 37 of the spider wheel 36 of FIGS. 6 and 7 is identical with the function of the lugs 23 of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. As can be seen at the position indicated by the reference number 39, adhesion between the strand 34 and the peripheral surface of the lug 31b creates a wave form in the strand 34 asit departs from the pulling wheel 30.

The particular configuration of the strands 12 and 34 of FIGS. 2 and '6 are those which have been observed through the medium of high'speed photography, an attempt being made in both of these figures to accurately depict the strand configuration just prior to and just after its progressive departure from the lugs of the pulling instru'mentality and the strand removal means.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for attenuating and longitudinally feeding a multifilament, untwisted continuous strand comprising a rotary, generally circular pulling wheel, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, periphery forming elements on said wheel, the outer surfaces of said elements forming an interrupted cylindrical peripheral surface for strand contact and adhesion, strand guiding means for guiding said strand into generallytangential contact with the outer surface of said elements, means for rotating said wheel at high speed and strand removal means rotatable with said wheel and comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced members movable through the spaces between adjacent ones of said periphery forming elements on said wheel for progressively contacting said strand at a point circumferentially remote from the initial contact of said strand with said wheel and before said strand has wrapped 360 around said wheel, said circumferentially spaced members being movable radially inward into the spaces between the periphery forming elements of the pulling wheel for engagement with the strand and radially outward through such spaces for strand removal, said strand removal means acting for pulling said strand from the cylindrical surfaces of said elements and discharging said strand from said pulling wheel.

2. Apparatus for attenuating and longitudinally feeding a multifilament, untwisted, continuous strand comprising a rotary, generally circular pulling wheel, a plurality of circumferentially spaced, periphery forming elements on said wheel, the outer surfaces of said elements forming an interrupted cylindrical peripheral surface for strand contact and adhesion, strand guiding means for guiding said strand into generally tangential contact with the outer surface of said elements, means for rotating said wheel at high speed, rotary strand engaging means mounted for simultaneous movement with said wheel for removing said strand therefrom, said rotary strand engaging means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced members movable through the spaces between adjacent ones of said periphery forming elements on said wheel for progressively contacting said strand, said circumferentially spaced members being moved radially inwardly into the spaces between the periphery forming elements of the pulling wheel for engagement with the strand and radially outward through such spaces for strand removal, said rotary strand engaging means acting for pulling said strand from the cylindrical surfaces of said elements and discharging said strand from said pulling wheel.

3. In combination with a pulling wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, periphery forming elements for attenuating and longitudinally feeding a multifilament, untwisted, continuous strand, strand engaging means for removing said strand from said wheel comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced members movable through the spaces between adjacent ones of the periphery forming elements on the wheel, said circumferentially spaced members being moved radially inwardly into the spaces between the periphery forming elements for engagement with the strand and radially outward through said spaces for strand removal, said strand engaging means acting for pulling the strand from the wheel and discharging the strand therefrom.

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